Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra is the largest tablet in Samsung's 2026 Galaxy Tab S12 series, which the company introduced on 30 September 2026 and put on sale from 7 October in select markets. It has a 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, a MediaTek Dimensity 9500 processor, an 11,600 mAh battery and an S Pen in the box, all in a body that Samsung says is only 5.1 mm thick, making it the thinnest Galaxy Tab to date. This page is a review based on the published specifications and manufacturer information. It covers where the Ultra sits in the range, how the hardware and software are described, what the battery claims mean and who should buy such a large slate.

Where it sits in the lineup

Samsung launched two models: the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra with a 14.6-inch screen and the Galaxy Tab S12+ with a 12.6-inch one. Samsung announced only these two models. The Ultra is the flagship and is the only one offered with 16GB of memory (with 1TB of storage) and a Wi-Fi 7 radio, while the Plus keeps Wi-Fi 6E. In the United States Samsung's store listed the 256GB Wi-Fi Gray configuration of the Ultra at $1,399.99, while the series landing page carries a "from $1,199.99" price that appears to refer to the cheaper Plus model. That puts the Ultra firmly in laptop money, and its main rivals are other premium tablets such as Apple's iPad Pro M5 and Windows 2-in-1 devices like the Microsoft Surface Pro 12-inch 2nd Edition.

Within Samsung's own range, the predecessor is the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra, and the older Galaxy Tab S9 shows how much the line has changed. Samsung states that the new chip is up to 61% faster on the NPU, 19% faster on the CPU and 17% faster on the GPU than the S11 Ultra's. The page Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra vs Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra lists the differences, and the rankings put it in context.

Design and display

The body measures 208.5 x 326.3 x 5.1 mm and weighs 692 g for the Wi-Fi version and 695 g for the 5G version. It is built from what Samsung calls enhanced Armor Aluminum and carries an IP68 rating, rare among tablets, meaning protection against dust and immersion in up to 1.5 metres of water for 30 minutes under Samsung's test conditions. The colours are Gray and Silver. The press images show a flat back with a dual camera module at the corner and a centred notch for the front camera on the display side.

The screen is a 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with a resolution of 2960 x 1848 and a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. Samsung quotes a peak brightness of 1,600 nits and 1,000 nits in high brightness mode, with a 5.2 mm bezel. A new Seamless Vision Booster adjusts brightness and contrast continuously with ambient light, which should help outdoors. The 16:10-style proportions suit video and split-screen work, and the size makes this the tablet most likely to replace a laptop for notes and documents. Sound comes from four speakers producing four-channel spatial audio; Samsung says even two-channel content is processed into four channels. One caution: at 692 g the tablet is hard to hold one-handed for long, so it is better used on a desk, a lap or a stand.

Performance and software

Inside is the 3 nm MediaTek Dimensity 9500, paired with 12GB or 16GB of RAM. Storage options are 256GB, 512GB or 1TB, and the microSD slot accepts cards up to 2TB. Samsung says the redesigned 3D vapor chamber keeps temperatures low enough to sustain performance in long editing or gaming sessions, but real thermal behaviour can only be judged in independent testing. The tablet runs Android 17 with One UI 9, and Samsung promises up to seven OS upgrades and seven years of security updates, an unusually long commitment among Android tablets and one of the strongest arguments for paying this much.

Software is the Ultra's other selling point. DeX turns the screen into a windowed desktop with a toolbar and external display support, and One UI 9 allows up to three split-screen sections. Galaxy AI features include Note Assist summaries in Samsung Notes, Creative Studio for generating and refining images with the S Pen, a new "Ask anything" feature in the browser and Now Nudge prompts. Samsung says Adobe Photoshop comes preloaded, the first time it has appeared on an Android tablet, with four months of the mobile plan included, while Notability, Clip Studio Paint, Goodnotes and Notion are bundled with trial periods and a six-month Google AI Pro offer. These are promotional trials, so check the terms and renewal prices. Samsung also says the tablet works as a second screen for a Windows PC and supports Quick Share with non-Galaxy devices.

Camera and connectivity

The cameras are modest compared with those on phones: a 13MP main camera with an 8MP ultrawide at the back and a 12MP ultrawide at the front. The front camera is the part that matters for video calls, and the ultrawide lens lets several people share one frame. The tablet supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0 and 5G with dual SIM (physical SIM plus eSIM), and a fingerprint sensor sits under the display. The S Pen is included and, according to the specification table, does not support Bluetooth LE, which usually means remote features such as air gestures are unavailable. The accessory range includes the Pro Keyboard with a trackpad, the Book Cover Keyboard Slim with a Galaxy AI key, a Book Cover and a Frame Cover exclusive to the Ultra, all sold separately.

Battery and charging

The battery is rated at 11,600 mAh typical, with a rated minimum of 11,374 mAh, and Samsung claims up to 23 hours of video playback based on its own test at 720p, 162 nits brightness and Wi-Fi and mobile data off. Charging runs at up to 45W, and the company says a full charge from empty takes about 95 minutes with its 45W adapter. The charger is not included in the box, which contains the tablet, the S Pen, a USB-C cable and an ejector pin, so budget for an adapter. Most users should expect a full day of mixed use rather than 23 hours, since a 14.6-inch OLED at higher brightness uses far more power than a video test at 162 nits.

Who it is for

The Tab S12 Ultra suits people who want a large canvas: illustrators, students who take handwritten notes and annotate PDFs, and professionals who use Samsung DeX as a light laptop. Anyone who already owns a Galaxy phone gets smooth sharing and the Galaxy AI features. The long update promise makes it attractive as a device to keep for many years.

Compromises

The compromises are size, weight and price. A 14.6-inch tablet is awkward on a small tray table, a cover and keyboard add weight and cost, and the Android desktop experience, however good, is still not a full Windows or macOS environment. Photoshop on Android is not the desktop program. The camera hardware is basic, the charger is extra, and several of the bundled app offers are time-limited. If a lighter slate is enough, the 12.6-inch Tab S12+ or an iPad may suit better; if you want the biggest AMOLED screen and an included stylus, this is the model to look at.